Waifs and Strays

by O. Henry

Overview

One of the most famous pseudonym's in history, the name O. Henry evokes wordplay that is dazzling, inventive, wry, and humorous. O. Henry began writing short stories as a prison inmate, and he quickly fine tuned his skills behind the bars and developed into an excellent story-teller. The distinctive characteristic of O. Henry's short stories is the ironic twist at the end, which never fails to surprise and entertain. O. Henry's suspense and trademark ironic twist ensures that readers who have a good literary taste in short stories will not be disappointed. These stories were written in the first half of the twentieth century, and O. Henry's use of language far surpasses that of most contemporary writers. His stories also demonstrate his unique insight into the social conditions of his time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781479166077
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	08/22/2012
Pages:	88
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.21(d)

About the Author

O. Henry (1862-1910) was an American short story writer. Born and raised in North Carolina, O. Henry—whose real name was William Sydney Porter—moved to Texas in 1882 in search of work. He met and married Athol Estes in Austin, where he became well known as a musician and socialite. In 1888, Athol gave birth to a son who died soon after, and in 1889 a daughter named Margaret was born. Porter began working as a teller and bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Austin in 1890 and was fired four years later and accused of embezzlement. Afterward, he began publishing a satirical weekly called The Rolling Stone, but in 1895 he was arrested in Houston following an audit of his former employer. While waiting to stand trial, Henry fled to Honduras, where he lived for six months before returning to Texas to surrender himself upon hearing of Athol’s declining health. She died in July of 1897 from tuberculosis, and Porter served three years at the Ohio Penitentiary before moving to Pittsburgh to care for his daughter. While in prison, he began publishing stories under the pseudonym “O. Henry,” finding some success and launching a career that would blossom upon his release with such short stories as “The Gift of the Magi” (1905) and “The Ransom of Red Chief” (1907). He is recognized as one of America’s leading writers of short fiction, and the annual O. Henry Award—which has been won by such writers as William Faulkner, John Updike, and Eudora Welty—remains one of America’s most prestigious literary prizes.

Table of Contents

Part 1	Twelve Stories
	The Red Roses of Tonia	3
	Round the Circle	17
	The Rubber Plant's Story	25
	Out of Nazareth	32
	Confessions of a Humourist	52
	The Sparrows in Madison Square	66
	Hearts and Hands	72
	The Cactus	76
	The Detective Detector	82
	The Dog and the Playlet	90
	A Little Talk About Mobs	97
	The Snow Man	102